Bethany Tasaka, a Colton native, has served in faculty and administrative roles at San Bernardino Valley College since 2017. She is a founding member and the current president of the San Bernardino Community College District’s Asian & Pacific Islander Association (APIA).

Lancaster, CA, October 16, 2024 – The Association of California Community College Administrators announced today that Bethany Tasaka, Associate Professor of Mathematics at San Bernardino Valley College, is one of 45 leaders selected for the second cohort of the Social Justice & Career Advancement (SJCA) Institute. Through a competitive process, Fellows were chosen because of their leadership and impact potential. The mission of the SJCA Institute is to provide a practitioner-educator’s grounding in social justice and identity training paired with strategies, development, and a professional network for career advancement in the field of community college administration. In collaboration with the California Community College Chancellor’s Office, this program aligns with the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) goals of Vision 2030, ultimately shifting towards more equitable and diverse campuses within the California Community College system.

California Community Colleges enroll over two million students across 116 campuses, representing one of the most diverse student populations in the nation. The SJCA Institute is a unique initiative to ensure each campus is equipped with qualified and diverse leadership who have the skills and knowledge to achieve better outcomes for students. The second cohort of SJCA Fellows represents over 30 institutions, from small rural to large urban campuses.

“The Social Justice and Career Advancement (SJCA) Institute is a transformative program, equipping educators and administrators with deep social justice training, career advancement strategies, and a powerful peer network to lead systemic change across California’s community colleges,” stated Dr. Sonya Christian, Chancellor, California Community Colleges. “This groundbreaking partnership between the California Community College Chancellor’s Office and the Association for California Community College Administrators (ACCCA) advances Vision 2030’s mission to embed equity into the fabric of higher education by cultivating leaders who will champion inclusion and equity-driven practices at every level.”

Dr. Dina Humble, Vice President of Instruction at San Bernardino Valley College, added, “We are thrilled to announce that one of our esteemed faculty members, Bethany Tasaka, has been accepted into the prestigious Social Justice and Career Advancement Institute. This program, a collaboration between the California Community College Chancellor’s Office and ACCCA, aligns perfectly with our commitment to fostering diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility on our campus. The SJCA Institute will provide Ms. Tasaka with invaluable training in social justice theories, practices, and identity exploration, as well as strategies for implementing equitable institutional practices. This opportunity will not only benefit her personal and professional growth but will also contribute to our college’s ongoing efforts to create a more inclusive and just educational environment for all our students. We look forward to the positive impact this experience will have on our campus community and the California Community College system as a whole.”

Dr. Gilbert Contreras, President of San Bernardino Valley College, emphasized, “At San Bernardino Valley College, Ms. Tasaka is a leading voice advancing social justice and equity. Her participation in the SJCA Institute is an esteemed accolade for Ms. Tasaka and for San Bernardino Valley College. We are proud to support her with this professional development opportunity. Ultimately, our students benefit as well as the diverse communities we serve. We are grateful for Ms. Tasaka’s ongoing leadership at SBVC!”

For more information, visit https://accca.org/events-and-programs/sjca-institute.

The SJCA Institute provides a practitioner-educator’s grounding in social justice and identity training that is paired with strategies, development and a professional network toward career advancement in the field of community college administration. The goal of this effort is to support the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility  focus of Vision 2030 and ultimately to shift to more equitable and diverse campuses within the California community college system.

Learning Outcomes:

  1. Explore and gain dialogue skills in sensitive conversations around identity, bias, power, privilege, and their intersections  
  2. Explore trauma informed care principles that center healing, wellness, and self-care around marginalized identities
  3. Gain skills in recruiting, supporting, retaining, and developing historically excluded candidates for success in their careers 
  4. Historically excluded candidates will develop the skills to successfully apply/interview/secure new positions with increasing levels of responsibility in the California community colleges
  5. Historically excluded candidates will attain increased confidence and a sense of belongingness, inclusion, and support in their career pathway